LONDON — Moments after winning his second Wimbledon title in three seasons the joyous man-child Rafa Nadal unleashed an athletic somersault on the hallowed grass of the All England Club.
Not since Guga Kuerten drew a heart in the Roland Garros clay have we seen a more appropriate post-match gesture. In the past thirteen months no player’s fate has somersaulted so markedly.
Just last season he had been bounced out of the French Open by Robin Soderling which allowed his arch rival, Roger Federer to win the Roland Garros title Rafa had seemingly owned. Tendonitis in his knees soon forced Rafa out of Wimbledon. Relegated to a couch in Mallorca, he couldn’t defend the title he’d won in ’08 in the greatest match of all time.
A long humbling slide was in the cards. As usual, Rafa faltered in the torrid frenzy of the U.S. Open. So what else is new?
What was unsual was that he didn’t collect a title for ten months. He lost five straight matches to his prime rivals in the top five. He quickly fell to No. 4.
Fans wondered, what’s up. Critics asked: will the great and wondrous Rafa again return to the very top. Then the clay court season began. Then, after a dreary night of darkness, the clay court season returned and greatest dirtmeister since Bjorn Borg (or the best of all-time) returned to turn around his fortunes, sweeping through four tournaments, including the French Open.
Still, there were problems.
He lost to in the Queen’s warmup to Feliciano Lopez and at Wimbledon had major scares as trainers gave him treatments for his gimpe knees and he survived serious five-set scares in the second and third rounds to Dutchman Robin Haase and German Phillip Petzschner. He then downed his nemesis Robin Soderling to reach the semis where he faced the hope of the British nation, Andy Murray.
With a steely brilliance Rafa rose to the challenge against the home standing Scot who was hoping to win a Wimbledon for his land for the first time in 74 years. Oblivious to a shrieking crowd, Nadal hit on all cylinders, giving his foe, (a two time Slam finalist) few openings.
Now Nadal’s path to his second Wimbledon crown was clear. Yes, the 6-foot-5 Tomas Berdych, with his classic flat Czech strokes, had finally been coming on. Perhaps in some measure because of a newly discovered maturity on court and off, the talented Berdych had downed Federer to reach the Miami final where he fell to Andy Roddick. He made it to the Roland Garros semis before falling to Soderling and at Wimbledon navigated a spiked draw with surprising ease, dismissing the Mighty Federer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in the quarters and Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the quarters. But this was Berdych’s first Slam final (compared to ten for Rafa.) Worse yet, the Czech was suffering a six match, 14 set match losing streak to the Spaniard.
The final was more of the same. After three scintillating Wimbledon finals (two of them classics) this was (just like the women’s final) a semi-snooze.
As did Serena in her final, Nadal jousted with his foe and broke in the seventh game of the first set. In the first game of the second set, Berdych had a real chance, to change the predictable matters. But, on three break points, the great “big point” player closed the door and with little fanfare put on a workmanlike clinic. Using his signature hook ’em forehand, improved low ‘n nasty backhand slice, upgraded serve, tireless wheels and unflinching mind, he scored a drama-free 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory.
Still, as with Williams, questions soon swirled about Nadal, who incredibly achieved the Roland Garros-Wimbledon back-to-back for the second time in three years and managed to do so without dropping a single set.
With his second major on grass, along with his Aussie crown, he is clearly a champion for all surfaces. Still, the question of who is the best of all time is still not in play (although Rafa has a 14-7) record against Federer. But Rafa, 24, who with eight Slams tied the likes of Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Fred Perry and Ken Rosewall and clearly, if he retains his health and his knees don’t falter, has a chance to exceed Roger’s lofty numbers.
In the meantime, the issue is, will the U.S. Open be competitive or what, as Federer, Andy Murray and Roddick will all be eager to avenge nasty Grand Slam losses, while Nadal already has said he will be trying to win a career Slam in the one major that has alluded his mighty Mallorcan muscles.
We’re not sure if the Spaniard can come back from his extensive (“life is good”) summer partying and his medical treatments and win the Open amidst the frenzy of Flushing Meadows. But if he does, we know this. Rafa will not be doing any somersaults on the unforgiving asphalt of Arthur Ashe stadium.
WIMBLEDON NOTEBOOK
THE VIEW FROM THE STRANGE SONIC WOMB: Of the Nadal-Murray semi, the Daily Mail wrote, “From the press box, the match was almost hallucinogenically vivid — the close-range thwack of the balls, the desiccated, rubbed -bare stripes of green, Nadal’s zigzagging footwork, Murray’s rangy reach. And the roar of the crowd, packed in and unmoving, has a way of rising up and enveloping you, like some strange momentary sonic womb.”
MURRAY HEADLINE OF THE WEEKEND: Better Loch Next Year
BEND IT WITH BECKHAM: Inside Tennis has a curious history of getting brief (or not so brief) interviews celebs. Names like Clinton, McCartney, Streisand, Nicholson, Carson, Fergie, Prince Andrew, Redford and Williams — that would be Robin, not Serena or Venus) come to mind. So when word emerged that the Queen would be coming to Wimbledon, the pressure built for IT to get an interview. We may be stupid, but we’re not that dumb. This is one conversation that wasn’t going to happen. But dare we brag that IT did become the only publication (we think) to ‘interview’ David Beckham at the All-England Tennis Club. When the soccer God came to Wimbledon, the place went bonkers. St. Mary’s walk — the tournament’s prime thoroughfare — jammed up with fans hoping to get a glance. Restaurant workers stared from the shadows. When Beckham emerged in the Royal Box, photographers zoomed in on him and his young son.
Earlier in the week, IT asked Federer who — after the Queen — was the greatest celebrity he had ever met. He said Beckham.
No wonder there was a torrent of frenzy. Amidst this, IT tracked him down as he was meeting and greeting a beaming Nadal and his happy enotourage. Then, as Beckham strolled away, I had a more than brief chat:
INSIDE TENNIS: May I just ask you about Wimbledon?
DAVID BECKHAM: Well, it’s my first time here.
IT: What do you like most about it?
DB: Well, I like the history of the place and all the beauty.
Then I asked Rafa, “Was it fun meeting Beckham?
NADAL: Yeah.
IT: Did you talk a little soccer?
RAFAEL NADAL: I met him now just five minutes. Well, I know him from Madrid few years ago. And, sure, always is special meet with great sportsman like David.
At the same time, he’s a big star outside of the stadium. But for me, what I admire a lot of him is when he’s on the stadium, he fight like the best of them, more than the rest. But the British papers didn’t care about any of this and just connected the dots between the fact that Beckham was present, at both of the inglorious defeat of England’s World Cup soccer team and Murray’s loss to Rafa. The headline asked an unsparing question: “Is It the Curse of Beckham.”
THE KING IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE KING: Serena passed Long Beach’s Billie Jean King as the sixth leading woman’s champion of all times. But another King — also a product of Long Beach’s very athletic Poly High claimed a title. Vania King, teamed up with Yaroslava Shvedova to win the women’s doubles.
A WEEK TO REMEMBER: A Week To Remember: Was the first week of Wimbledon — with the John Isner–Nicolas Mahut marathon, the Queen’s visit, great weather and great upsets — the best week in tennis history?
WEATHER YOU REALIZE IT OR NOT: Weather You Realize It or Not:” This was the first Wimbledon since ’95 that was rain free.
THE SORROW OF VERA ZVONAREVA: Poor Vera Zvonereva lost two Grand Slam finals — the singles and woman’s doubles — in one afternoon. At least, that wasn’t as bad as Betty Stove who lost three titles – the singles, woman’s doubles and mixed — in ’77.
LET THEM EAT CAKE: Outgoing Wimbledon chief Tim Phillips, who banned telecasts of the World Cup from Wimbledon, “If you want to watch the World Cup, go to South Africa.”
THE PERFECTION OF SERENA WILLIAMS: Serena said if she wanted to build a perfect game, she would have Nadal’s speed, Roger’s forehand, Venus’ reach and her own serve and her own mind.
WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME WHEN I’M 38: When Peter Bodo asked Serena, “Is there a chance you’ll still be playing at 38, do you think, she responded, “If I am, I want you to personally take me off and escort me off the court. There’s no way I need to be out here at 38.”
FLY ME TO THE MOON: When asked what she was feeling when she was dancing about after her win, Serena shared, “I was really feeling Frank Sinatra-ish, Come Fly With Me, Fly Me To The moon.”
